IMDb > The Cowboys (1972)
The Cowboys
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The Cowboys (1972) More at IMDbPro »

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The Cowboys (1972) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   3,653 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Mark Rydell

Writers:

William Dale Jennings (novel)
Irving Ravetch (screenplay) ...
more

Contact:

View company contact information for The Cowboys on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

13 January 1972 (USA) more

Genre:

Drama | Western more

Tagline:

All they wanted was their chance to be men...and he gave it to them. more

Plot:

When his cattle drivers abandon him for the gold fields, rancher Wil Andersen is forced to take on a... more | add synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

1 win more

User Comments:

The best of the Duke for everyone more (57 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

John Wayne ... Wil Andersen
Roscoe Lee Browne ... Jebediah Nightlinger
Bruce Dern ... Long Hair
Colleen Dewhurst ... Kate
Alfred Barker Jr. ... Fats - Cowboy
Nicolas Beauvy ... Dan - Cowboy
Steve Benedict ... Steve - Cowboy

Robert Carradine ... Slim Honeycutt - Cowboy
Norman Howell ... Weedy - Cowboy (as Norman Howell Jr.)

Stephen R. Hudis ... Charlie Schwartz - Cowboy (as Stephen Hudis)
Sean Kelly ... Stuttering Bob - Cowboy

A Martinez ... Cimarron - Cowboy
Clay O'Brien ... Hardy Fimps - Cowboy
Sam O'Brien ... Jimmy Phillips - Cowboy
Mike Pyeatt ... Homer Weems - Cowboy
more
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Additional Details

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (video rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2005) (uncut) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) (cut) | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Mark Rydell originally sought George C. Scott for the role of Wil Andersen because he despised John Wayne's views on the Vietnam War and other aspects of U.S. foreign policy. Ironically, some critics in 1972 believed that the way in which Wayne's character drafts the children out of school was a pro-war allegory for Vietnam. more

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Mr. Anderson is branding the calf during roundup, he only touches the iron to the calf once even though the brand on other livestock clearly shows two distinct O's. Before he brands the calf, one can clearly see that the iron is a single O. more

Quotes:

Wil Andersen: You know, trail driving is not Sunday school picnic. You got to figure you're dealing with the dumbest oneriest critter on God's green earth. The cow is nothing but trouble tied up in a leather bag - and the horse ain't much better. more

Movie Connections:

Featured in Running Scared (2006) more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
11 out of 15 people found the following comment useful.
The best of the Duke for everyone, 14 March 2005
8/10
Author: George Mussman (GEM-20) from Washington State

Obviously, John Wayne had a long and distinguished career in the movies. Of course, he was merely playing himself time after time. In this movie, that works wonderfully well.

He plays Wil Anderson, a man in his 60s with little else he can do but hire a classroom of boys to help with a cattle drive. This makes for a fun outing for anyone in any age group. Roscoe Lee Browne is well cast here. His scene with Colleen Dewhurst is very well played. Bruce Dern is great, too!

My son, who is a big fan of "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones", pointed out the John Williams music in "The Cowboys"; it is very good indeed.

"The Cowboys" is my choice for the movie to introduce people to John Wayne. It definitely makes you want to see more! Out of four stars, I rate it: ***.5

Was the above comment useful to you?
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